Buttonhole-sewing machine



J. KIEWICZ.

BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJ, 1916.

1,350,729, Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

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J. KIEWICZ.

BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-7. 1916.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

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' tention which they need. My device is de- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN KIEWICZ, 013 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE REECE BUTTON HOLE MACHINE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION O MAINE.

BUTTON HOLE-SEWIN G MACHINE.

Application filed August 7, 1916. Serial No. 113,

hole-SewingMachines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing. is a specification, like characterson the drawing representing like parts. I

This invention relates to buttonhole sewing machines and has for its object to provide a novel means for automatically feeding oil to the various parts of the device that need constant lubrication.

In all buttonhole sewing machines it is now customary to oil the various parts by hand, but the difliculty with this is that operators are often careless about the matter of lubrication and some of the parts that require constant lubrication do not get the atsigned to obviate this difiiculty by automatically supplying the lubricant to the parts needing lubrication.

In order to give an understanding of my invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims Figure 1 is a side view of abuttonhole sewing machine having my improvements ap-' plied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a section on substantially the line 2-2 of rig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the pump employed for pumping the oil to the oil reservoir.

Fig. 4 is a ing reservoir.

My invention .is capable of being applied to any buttonhole sewing machine, but in order to give an understanding thereof, I have illustrated it as it'would be applied to a buttonhole sewing machine of the well known Reece type, an example of which may be found in United States Letters Patent No. 1,030,589, dated June 25, 1912, or in my co-pending application Se. No. 100,124, filed May 26, 1916.

In the machine shown in the drawings, 1

plan view of the oil-distributindicates the frame of the machine which carries the stitch-forming mechanism and in Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ,Aug'. 24, 1920.

which is journaled the driving shaft 2" by WhlCh said stitch-forming mechanism in operated. This stitch-forming mechanism includes the upper needle 3 and its reciprocating needle bar 4 and also an under threadhandling mechanism which I do not regard it as necessary to illustrate herein. The needle bar 4 is reciprocated by means of a lever 5.pivotally mounted to the frame or headat' 6 and connected at 7 to an arm 8 on an eccentric strap 9 which encircles an eccentrio 10 on the shaft 2, this being one-wellknown way of reciprocating the needle bar. The drlvlng shaft 2 extends through a suitable bearing 11 formed on the head of the frame and is also sustained at its outer end in a bearing 12 carried by an arm 13 rising from the frame. This driving shaft not only actuates the stitch-forming mechanism, but it also controls the feed for the work. Thework is clamped to a clamp plate 14 by means of the usual work clamps 15 which are pivotally mounted on the clamp plate, and in the sewing machine herein illustrated the clamp plate 14 is mounted for longitudinal reciprocatlon in ways formed in the bed plate 16, such longitudinal movement of the clamp plate and work clamp giving the requisite feeding movement to the work. This longitudinal movement of the clamp plate 14- 1s derived from the usual feed. cam 17 by mechanism similar to that shown innny aboveqnentioned co-pending application and which comprises a slide 18 mounted to reciprocate in suitable ways in the bed plate 16 and detachably connected to theclamp plate 14 by a latch 19. This slide 18 is pro vided with a stud or projection 20 operating in a groove in the feed cam 17, all as usual in sewing machines of this type.

The feed cam '17 is operated from the driving shaft 2 by mechanism similar to that shown in my above-mentioned co-pending application and which it is not necessary to describe in detailv herein. It will be sufficient so far as the present invention is concerned to state that the driving shaft 2 has a spiral gear 21 thereon which meshes with and drives a gear 22 on a shaft 23 which extends down through the bed plate 16, said shaft 23 being operatively connected at its lower end to the cam member 17 so that rotation of the shaft 23 will give the requisite feeding movement to the cam member 17 Inasmuch as this form of driving mechanism for the cam member 17 forms no part of the present invention, I have not deemed it necessary to further illustrate it.

The shaft 2 is also shown as having a driving pulley 24 thereon and a suitable clutch actuated by a clutch sleeve 25 is em loyed for clutching the pulley 24 or unclutc ing it from the shaft.

The parts thus far described are or may be all as usual .in buttonhole sewing machines of the .Reecgltype and form no part of my present invention. In sewing ,machines of this nature it is necessary to furnish proper lubrication for the mechanism actuating the needle bar 4, for the driving shaft 2, the gearing 21, 22, the clutch sleeve 25, etc., and my invention aims to provide means whereby these and any other desired parts of the machine may be automatically lubricated, thus obviating any attention so far-as the operator 1s concerned.

. This end is accomplished by providing an.

oil-distributing reservoir which is situatedabove the parts to be lubricated and by pro- .viding novel means for distributing the oil in any desired quantity to anyone of the various parts that need lubrication. The oildistributing reservoir is shown at 250 and I have herein illustrated it as secured to the frame 1 of the machine above the shaft 2.

While this reservoir may have any appropriate construction, I find it convenient to make it as an integral part of the usual spool holder 27 which supports the spool 28 valve 31 that extends up through the reservoir and is operable from above the latter, as shown best in Fig. 2. Each needle valve is illustrated as screw-threaded to the upper end of the reservoir, as at 32, and as provided'with a knurled head 33 by which it may be adjusted. Situated beneath each discharge port is a distributing pipe 34 which is shaped and positioned to deliver the oil deposited therein to one of the bearings to be lubricated. For instance, one pipe 34 is constructed to deliver the oil to the bearing 11; another pipe 34 is constructed to deliver oil to the mtermeshing gears 21, 22, thereby keeping them oiled; another pipe 24 can deliver oil to the bearing 12 or to-the clutch sleeve 25 or to any other element which requires lubrication. These distributing pipes 34 are shown as extending through and supported by the casing 35 which incloses the gears 21, 22, driving pulley 24, clutch sleeve 25, etc. Each distributing pipe is provided at its upper end with a flaring mouth 36 which is situated slightly below the corresponding discharge port 30 so, that sufficient space is afforded to observe the speed at which the oil is being fed from any discharge port. The reservoir 250 is also provided with a discharge port 37 that is situated over an opening 38 formed in the arm 280 and directly over the eccentric 9 and connections 7 between the eccentric strap 8 and lever 5. This discharge port 37 is controlled by a needle valve 39 similar to the needle valve 31. By properly adjustingthe needle valves 31 and 39, the oil maybe delivered to the parts to be lubricated at the required speed to furnish the desired lubrication, and when the valves are once adjusted, no further attention on the part of the operator is required.

I have herein illustrated the distributing pipes as leading to the parts mounted on the driving shaft 2 only, but it will be obvious that additional distributing pipes 34 might be used leading to any other parts of the machine where constant lubrication is desired.

My invention also comprehends means for automatically maintaining a supply of oil or other lubricant in the reservoir 250. This is provided for by means of a pump actuated y some moving part of the machine which pumps oil from a source of supply into the reservoir 250 as long as the machine is runnmg.

40 indicates a pump which is shown as secured to the frame 1 of the machine. This pump comprises a cylinder 41 in which operates a piston or plunger 42, said cylinder having an inlet port 43 which is controlled by an inwardly-opening check valve 44. The cylinder is also provided with a discharge port 45 controlled by the outwardly-opening check valve 46 and leading into a chamber 47 which communicates with a pipe 48. The pipe 48 leads into the distrlbuting chamber 250; The inlet port 43 communicates with a pipe 49 which leads to the source of supply.

In the present embodiment of my inven-.

tion I have shown a construction wherein a constant circulation of oil is maintained, the surplus oil which drips from the bearings being collected in-a collecting chamber and then pumped from this chamber into the reservoir 250. The machine rests on a base or support 50 as usual in sewing machines of this type, and this base in turn rests on a pan member '51 having the afore-mene tioned oil well or collecting chamber formed therein, said chamber being indicated at 52. The pipe 49 leads into the oil well 52 so that the oil which accumulates in the oil well is returned to the reservoir 250 by the pump. 53 indicates a screen which covers the oil well to prevent any sediment from accumulating therein. The pump may be operated by any suitable Tnoving part of the machine. I have shown it as actuated from the slide 18 so that the pump will receive one complete reciprocation during the operation of each buttonhole. The plunger 42 of the pump is provided with a groove 54 in which is received the forked end of the arm 55 of an elbow lever, the other arm 56 of said lever extending down through the bed plate and being situated between two projections 57 formed on the slide 18 so that as said slide reciprocates, the elbow-lever 55, 56 will be oscillated thereby operating the pump.

The reservoir 250 is provided with a filling opening 58 through which oil may be introduced into the chamber if desired.

While I have illustrated herein a construction for oiling certain parts of the machine, yet it will be obvious that by simply increasmg the number of distributing pipes 34 and locating them in proper positions, any other parts of the machine may be lubricated.

I claim: 1. In a sewing machine, the combination with a frame .having an upright portion and an overhanging arm, of stitch-forming mechanism carried by the frame, a driving shaft for the stitch-forming mechanism journaled in said upright portion and extending laterally beyond the same, said frame having an opening above the portion of the shaft journaled therein, an oil reservoir mounted on-the top of said upright portion and provided with a boss enterm and fitting said opening, said reservoireing situated directly above and parallel to said shaft and extending beyond the upright portion of the frame,'a plurality'of ports in said reservoir, one of which extends through said boss, valves for said ports, and pipes leading from said ports to difi'erent points along said shaft.

2. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with a frame carrying stitchforming mechanism, of a work clamp, means for actuatin the work clamp to feed the work, operating means for the stitch-forming mechanism, an oil reservoir situated above said operating means, means to deliver oil from said reservoir to the operating means to lubricate the same, a pump secured to said frame, and means actuated by the work-clamp-feeding means to operate the pump.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN KIEWICZ. 

